Bernard Lewis is probably the West's foremost scholar on Islam and the Middle East; I have enjoyed several of his books on these topics. Even so, I was surprised to find a volume of poetry, translated by Lewis, at my bookstore, and I bought it immediately, reasoning that if it remotely approached his other works, it would be well worth the money. I was not disappointed. With little or no knowledge of Near Eastern poetry to my credit, Music of a Distant Drum won me over. I read the entire volume of poems, about 130, in the first evening.

Music of a Distant Drum is divided into four sections of approximately equal lengths, each providing poems, translated by Lewis, from four distinct (although sometimes contemporaneous) cultures: Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Hebrew. While I?m qualified to critique neither the poetry nor its translation, I can say that I found them all beautiful. Not knowing what to expect, I was surprised by the brevity of many of the works. The Persians and Arabs in particular seem to be fond of short works in tight stanzas. Too, I found the worldliness and circumspection of the Persians unexpected, even though they, among all four cultures, seemed most fond of metaphor.

If you are a student of the East, I think you might be interested in, and surprised by, the topics these poems: war, love, aging, politics, drinking (!). Some scholars note that drinking (or drunkenness), as a topic in this poetry, is a metaphor for an all-encompassing love of God. Lewis seems to suggest that the drinking references may not be as metaphorical as others maintain it is. Either way, the poetry is agile and moving, and I enjoyed it very much. Poetry lovers may appreciate that some of these works have probably never appeared in print in the West, and I was impressed by the very number of poets represented: there are an astonishing 54 mini-biographies (about a paragraph, each) in the back of the book.

Buy this book and read it. I believe you will find it as powerful and enjoyable as I did.

While I dislike some of the positions of Bernard Lewis (his book, "What Went Wrong" is a clear extension of Samuel Huntingtons extremist "Clash of Civilizations". In it Lewis continues the dangerous rhetoric that the East (Islam in particular) is destine to "clash" with the West (European civilization) due to irreconcilable differences; a position I am hostile toward because it is an over-simplification of half of the world and attempts to define everyone of a particular culture or belief system into one of two "opposing" sides. Ridiculous? Just check how widely circulated this material is in the academic world, and how much it resembles the same positions held by the Osama bin Ladens, where the world is dividied into peace and war territory based on uncomprimising world views. Similar to the Bush "holier than thou" rhetoric,- "Your either with us or against us"- (which is typical of rousing up a mob or witch hunt). Strangely enough, I really enjoyed this title. This book is simply a historic inquiry into the social order of bygone days in which the institution of slavery was the equivalent to the working class, or the domestic slaves of modern society. While this analogy is not made in Lewis's book, and while I don't mean to speak passively about the evils of slavery, I feel that the study (and many like it)lends attention to such a conclusion. It also draws the distinction between chattel slavery (like that of the American south), and the slavery practiced by Semitic peoples. The only thing missing here is the social position of concubinage. It is discussed, but I feel that more treatment would have been great.

Though we're all pretty familiar with the slave trade going to the western hemisphere, we're less familiar with the slave trade going from sub-sahara Africa to North Africa and the Middle East. Bernard Lewis covers this part of the slave trade well in Race and Slavery in the Middle East. He goes through time from pre-Islamic times to the 20th century. He discuses how slavery in that part of the world becomes more and more of racial concept that enslaves both whites, black and people from the caucasus montains and each group was perceived. Lewis also focuses on how other ethnic groups in the Middle East such as Persians were looked at. In addition, Lewis goes through how the growth of Europe slowed down slavery and eventually lead to its abolition in North Africa and the Middle East from initially cutting off supply from the Cacasuss Montains and Eastern Europe and then from Sub-Sahara Africa.

I've read some of Prof. Lewis' other books and they all have a common theme, impartial academic analysis. This book tackles a difficult subject without prejudice, slavery and racism. Prof. Lewis knows his subject well. He ignores common "western" perceptions of the region, employs corroborating primary sources, and a very readable rendition of how race is perceived (and not perceived) in the Middle East, past and present.

The pictures alone are an amazing collection from around the Islamic world and illustrate local perceptions. Even parallels that seemingly would never occur in most peoples' minds come up such as the fact that many stories in the Arabian Nights depict blacks as slaves, while the Arabs are often "white supremacists" (not to be taken as literally the same as the context in America). The perception of people in the region greatly varies from place to place and from time to time. At times, they struggle with their own racist ideas and the eloquence of some blacks (either former slaves or those born from such unions as well as the occasional martial slave) in the Mideast who became prominent poets, writers, and popular figures in-spite of the racial prejudice. This is an enlightening journey and you'll learn more from this small book then most huge volumes that cannot even grasp what Prof. Lewis has completely understood. Highly recommended.

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Nagel, professor of Islamic theology at Göttingen, writes from outside Islam and in the rationalist-historical tradition to explicate what Muslims have believed, using a style often found in western theological studies of Christianity that are based in history rather than faith. He has intentionally refrained "from rashly pointing out parallels or similarities between Islam and Christianity, because this tends to be misleading.... It is more important and helpful to recognize-and accept-the different nature of the other faith." He methodically examines the nature and meaning of the Qur'an; the nature of faith; concepts of salvation; the literary traditions of hadith and kalam; the role of rationalism in the major schools of Islamic thought; revelation, philosophy, gnosis, orthodoxy and, as he moves from the classical to the modern era, ideology. The book concludes with a relatively brief annotated list of further readings. Useful for the serious non-specialist reader.

The History Of Islamic Theology: From Muhammad To The Present is a thoughtful, informative, careflly presented and scholarly tracing of the evolution of Islamic doctrine from its origins down to the present day. Written by Islamic theology and history expert Tilman Nagel (University of Gottingen, Germany), The History Of Islamic Theology has been superbly translated from the original German into English by Thomas Thornton. While the primary focus is on the early development of Islam in the ninth through twelfth centuries, Nagel also reveals the many ways in which Muslims from around the world have carried the precepts and doctrines of Islam into contemporary times. A strongly recommended addition to Islamic Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections, The History Of Islamic Theology is also available in a hard cover edition (1558762027,).

This book offers an historical perspective on slavery in the Middle East allowing a comparison between slavery in the America's with the rest of the world.

Arab laws protecting slaves are available in the appendix. Also illustrations of mosaics depicting slavery in the Middle East are included.

I recommend this book to anyone interesting in the history of the Middle East or of the US because shows how African's viewed the institution of slavery before the European and American slave trade.

The realization that the enslavement of blacks (and others) by an expanding Islamic empire is both disturbing and something that is rarely addressed by historians in classrooms. Prof. Lewis presents the realities and the views of Muslim Arabs and others and explains their reasoning and practices in compact detail. The racist element is disturbing in that black African slaves were treated very badly, while white slaves were employed as soldiers or as part of harems. The dichotomy is disturbingly reminicent of European attitudes towards blacks in the more recent past. Slavery in the Middle East continued for decades after it ended in the Americas and in some countries in North Africa, blacks continue to be treated as second-class citizens and/or slaves (Tuaregs raiders and "white" Moors in Mauretania still practice slavery). Lewis covers an uncomfortable subject the best way possible, by presenting facts and remaining neutral as an observer and first-rate historian.

Thirty years after the publication of The Middle East and the West, Lewis has reissued that excellent study in a slightly updated and enlarged form. The changes are pervasive but not deep; while figures like the Ayatollah Khomeini do appear in its pages, such issues of the 1960s as Arab socialism and Soviet-Egyptian relations remain at the heart of the study. This said, the 1964 version concludes with the observation that “Friendship will be possible only when Arab nationalism is prepared to come to terms with the West.” That having more or less taken place, the 1994 version ends by noting that “for the first time in centuries, the course of events in the Middle East is being shaped not by outside but by regional powers. The choice, at last, is their own.” To sum up, while the new first page is identical in substance with the old one, the last pages in the two versions differ completely one from the other.

"Shaping of the Modern Middle East" has many enduring virtues of which two stand out. It presents with succinct clarity nearly all the great intellectual themes that influenced Middle Eastern life over the past two centuries. And it presents a vision of the Middle East as a whole, with Iran and Turkey no less important than the Arabic-speaking countries, a perspective which causes the Arab-Israeli conflict to shrink to its true proportions.) In short, Shaping of the Modern Middle East remains perhaps the best single volume for learning about the vast subject matter it covers....

Thirty years after publish his seminal "Middle East and the West" Lewis here updates it to take into account a number of dramatic changes in the region. Bernard Lewis may well be the greatest living scholar of Arab and Muslim culture. His understanding and respect for the people and history in the region makes it possible for him to strike a rare balance between those who believe Arab culture can do no wrong and those who believe it can do no right.

Lewis' original work was based on the thesis that the Middle East had not come to terms with the West, culturally or politically. When he wrote this updated work in 1994, after the fall of the Soviet Union, considerable reason for hope existed that pervasive globalization would integrate the Middle East into the rest of the world.

Sadly, he may have written too early. Recent event indicate that the traditional Islamic hostility to the west are striking back with a vengeance. Moreover, it is unclear whether any of the modernizing nation states in the region have the legitimacy with their own people to survive the coming assault.

While events have made this work somewhat dated, it is still offers essential perspective to understanding Islam, the Arab world, and the possible future. For those with a serious interest, it is a must read.

This book, Islam and the West, is a collection of essays combined to provide three different aspects to the Islamic world. It provides insight to the deeply religious Islamic world and helps to dispelled myths about the vastly different culture. Islam and the West bridged the gap between western ideas and the Islamic values, creating a better grasp on the actions of the Islamic world.
Bernard Lewis' book has much to offer its reader, particularly if the reader is has any desire to understand Middle East relations. As Lewis suggests in his book, it is impossible to understand Middle East relations without understanding the Muslim religion and this book provides much of that understanding. This book is a learned, forceful analysis that treats Islam with respect, not condescension. The greatest benefit a reader can gain from Islam and the West, is the rare opportunity to step out of one worldview and catch a glimpse of another.

Bernard Lewis's book is alternately fascinating and frustrating. If you come to it expecting either a history of the relationship between the Islamic and Western worlds, or an analysis of their relationship in recent decades, you will be disappointed. The book consists, rather, of essays dealing with various issues in Islamic-Western relations, such as problems in translating Arabic texts into European languages, the idea of country and patriotism in the Islamic world, and disputes between scholars of Middle Eastern studies.

Despite the somewhat esoteric topics, however, the book is not just for scholars. Lewis's breadth of knowledge, and a writing style much more interesting than that of most academics, makes this book intriguing reading for almost anyone with an interest in Islam and the Middle East. I picked up many intriguing facts and anecdotes from the book.

But it's not perfect. For me, the problem in Bernard Lewis's approach is summed up in one of the book's first essays -- on Muslims living in non-Muslim countries. Lewis offers a fascinating study of what various Muslim scholars have said over the centuries about the theological implications of Muslims living under the laws of non-Muslims. Then he admits that the average Muslim probably has little or no knowledge of these theological debates and it is uncertain what effect these ideas have on how real people live their lives. He insists, though, that they must have some effect, and in any case, how can we find out any information about religious ideas except by listening to religious scholars? That's pretty much like saying that papal pronouncements are the only knowledge we can have of what Catholics think. Scholarly and theological debates are interesting, but how religious ideas effect people's lives is even more so -- and that area is not only beyond the scope of Lewis's work (which is understandable), but is something that he writes off as irrelevant and unknowable (which is absurd).

And for me, this limitation is a problem throughout the book. Lewis is a marvelous and almost always interesting scholar when he is discussing the history of ideas. But he repeatedly jumps to the conclusion that those ideas filter down to ordinary people's lives with little change. It would be far more interesting, and relevant to the general reader, I think, to see how those ideas play out in the real world.

Bernard Lewis, the dean of Middle East scholars, has been much lambasted by people like Edward Said, who have pummeled him with
all manner of polemics. None of that caterwauling masqueraded as debate has removed Lewis from his throne as the leading living
Middle East scholar. What makes Lewis such a marvel is that, in a field beset with politics, he neither seeks to eviscerate nor canonize his
subject. Here is a man who loves Arab culture and Arabic, but is capable of insightful commentary and analysis.
Lewis' work on how Islam and "the west" encountered each other, defined themselves as being in opposite of the "other," and the
conflicts that arose is still the standard. Even more enjoyable, Lewis writes with a wonderful readable style and presents the information in
an accessible way. I highly recommend this book and, if you like it, you should pick up his other classic, Middle East and the west.

This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to comprehend the deep passions underlying the Mid-East conflict. In this very readable volume, subtitled "An Inquiry into Conflict and Prejudice", Bernard Lewis explains how and why hatred of Jews as Jews now inflames the Arab World. First published in 1987 and reissued with a new Afterword in 1999, the book is as timely as tomorrow. In light of subsequent events, the last chapter, "The New Anti-Semitism", and the Afterword are especially chilling.

Lewis writes a persuasive and detailed account of the rise of anti-Semitism in the Arab world. He credits its emergence to European influences, charts the collaboration between Arab nationalism and Nazism and the disturbing proliferation of anti-Semitic tracts following 1948. This is a well-written, powerful book which must be read in order to understand why the Middle East conflict has gone on so long.

In the wake of September 11, a lot of Americans are only starting to wake up to something known to anyone who has read this book: the Arab world has succeeded Nazi Germany as the global epicenter of annihilationist anti-Semitism.

Bernard Lewis' book was written well in advance of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and it makes essential background reading into the bizarre theorizing that is so replete in the Arab world.

Lewis writes carefully and with sympathy for his subjects, and he is careful to draw a line between criticism of Israel and outright bigotry. Still, his inquiry finds that far too many newspapers and intellectuals in this region are willing to embrace medieval libels and Nazi tracts in their efforts to explain away the perseverance of Israel.

Anyone who holds universal tolerance as a cardinal value - regardless of their stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict - should read this book carefully. Unless the world shines the light of truth on the recesses of paranoia and hatred lurking in the Arab world, we will be certain of seeing many more Osama bin Ladens

This book is an intellectual tour de force. In 387 pages, Bernard Lewis shows an encyclopedic command of Middle Eastern history and culture. All the more impressive when you consider that his bibliography and notes take up a total of just 9 - yes, nine - pages. But Lewis' command of the material is actually a drawback - it's sort of like a college lecture given by a renowned professor where you leave thinking, "It was impressive, but I really didn't get what he was talking about." Lewis often dives headfirst into the material, without providing context that might be helpful to the reader. Key terms appear without definition. In the middle of the book, Lewis breaks the historical flow for six "cross-sections" dealing with a particular aspect of society (e.g culture, economy) - some of which are almost impenetrable. (They really reminded me of college lectures.) There are some diamonds in the rough, though. The cross-section entitled "Religion and Law" begins with a concise comparison of the major religions, including details on Muslim practices. The book is not without merit as a reference or as "further reading". But its density is ultimately defeating if you are looking for "Middle East History 101".

Lewis provides a solid overview of the Middle East. He's gives us a feeling for the incredible flux this area has seen over the past 2000 years. Lewis has a good eye for evocative detail, using an quotidian coffeehouse example at the outset to delineate elements of culture which he then uses as a springboard for Middle Eastern history.

Unlike many one-volume histories, Lewis then gives an excellent background, starting in pre-Christian antiquity and the Persian empire and continuing during the Christian period. He has an appreciation for the prominent achievements of Islam and the Ottoman Empire and writes with praiseworthy restaint when considering the causes of the decline of the Empire. Those seeking more recent history may be disappointed and might consider other histories in addition to this one.

Lewis has a good style with history, plucking out a narrative but not neglecting fact. It's a popular, not scholarly work, a thoroughly enjoyable read. Strongly recommended.

Books about the Middle East concerned less with current headlines, prognosticating, or analyzing policies seem in short supply, but Bernard Lewis's The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years is a welcome departure. Because it predates 9/11, it is more of a scholarly introduction than a cultural or political document. Two aspects of Lewis's The Middle East I appreciated were his historical and geographical framing, and his emphasis on Ottoman history.

Although most of the book involves the Ottoman period, because of the volume of original sources, Lewis starts not with Mohammad classical period, but in the pre-classical empires of the Roman Empire and Persia. The perspective illustrates Islam's genius for adapting both indigenous and exogenous alternatives to local problems. Geographically, Lewis stays fixed on Ottoman and Persian territory, with only occasional references to Central Asian, European, African, and Southeast Asian history. This keeps the reader immersed in the region without following Islam's extended borders in other regions.

Another aspect I liked was an emphasis on Ottoman history, and not classical Islam. There is entire section on culture, law, religion, and social classes, which acts as an interlude between the early Ottoman Period and modern times. Here he addresses very succinctly and diplomatically many issues relevant to contemporary discussions. Many readers no doubt will be disappointed by his apparent reticence, but he avoids placing the debate in the classical period.

Lewis makes a controversial argument that is certainly counter-intuitive and offensive to Muslim fundamentalists. The West has not intervened in the Middle East, except for limited economic and political contacts over short periods. As a matter of fact, if Western countries had supported their limited forays with substantial aid and attention, the region might have benefited. Instead, Lewis blames the marginalization of the Middle East both on the demise of the region as a crossroads between east and west, and on the Muslim governments for not realizing the consequences of this change. Lewis points the finger mostly at Muslims, not the West.

The only bad aspect of this book is its length: too short. Although Lewis blames this on the dearth of research on Ottoman official documents, there is certainly more spaces to be filled with information. But Lewis's outline is very fruitful and compelling. It might not satisfy advocates, but it challenges both Muslim and Western proponents to examine their approaches.

Slipshod writing is often a symptom of shoddy thinking. Several reviewers with distinguished academic credentials have savaged the thought content of THE CRISIS OF ISLAM. The slapdash form of the book leads me to believe they are right.

The introduction reads as if it had been directly transcribed from a tape -- without revision by either author or editor. It contains a plethora of long sentences, each containing multiple clauses hooked together by a dizzying array of punctuation. Page XX has one about the naming of Middle-Eastern countries that contains 75 words, 1 colon, 1 semicolon, three dashes, and 5 commas! There are even longer sentences on the pages that follow.

The body of the book is somewhat better, having passed through the editorial machinery of the NEW YORKER. Numerous compound and run-on sentences, however, have survived. See, for example, page 4 where Lewis strings 54 words together with 3 dashes and four commas or page 87, where two different ideas are cobbled together in 55 words, a semicolon and 3 commas. In a single sentence on page 104 one must struggle through a "there", two "their"s, and two "them"s in search of meaning. As another reviewer has pointed out, Lewis uses "Arab" and "Muslim" interchangeably, even though not all Arabs are Muslim and not all Muslims are Arab.

Lewis whinges in his introduction that Muslims are "keenly aware" of history while "the general level of historical knowledge in American society is abysmally low". He quickly converts that apparent compliment into a criticism: that present-day Muslim demagogues, like Bin Laden and Saddam, have used their followers' historical awareness to manipulate them. In his chapter "Discovering America", Lewis is guilty of the same thing. In attempting to explain "why they hate us" he offers historical analysis i.e. "it's the Nazi's fault" almost as warped as any of Saddam's. He traces the origins of Muslim anti-Americanism to "certain intellectual influences coming from Europe" -- spcifically German writers like Rilke, Spengler, and Heidegger. He says in the 1930's German education philosophy "enjoyed a considerable vogue". So Lewis wants us to believe that the Arab street became anti-American from reading German philosophy and embracing the kindergartern movement? The Nazis, according to Lewis, continued the process of spreading "German ideologies" during WWII -- especially in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. He offers no proof that those "ideologies" motivated Muslim anti-Americanism even there. The fascist Falangists in Lebanon were Arab Christians, not Arab Muslims. The Muslim countries which have spawned the most anti-American terrorists -- Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen -- were not in the German orbit, and Trukey, which was, is staunchly pro-American.

Talk about using historical hot-buttons to manipulate your audience!

Bernard Lewis continues his lifetime devotion to teaching about the Middle East and Islamic culture in this all too thin volume. As in his last book, What Went Wrong, here again Lewis focuses on raising the average readers understanding of this crucial region and its history. Unlike many so called academics, who argue from polarized positions on CNN and FOX News, Lewis takes a complex and nuance approach to this most complex of regions. Indeed, while everyone else seems to either want to condemn all Islam and its culture or apologize for the terrorists it currently inspires, this author writes from a position of respect and appreciation for this civilization all the while refusing to be blinded by base sentimentalism.

Looking through Islamic history, Lewis explains how a preoccupation with a loss of status and power, a world view looking to blame outsiders rather than looking inward for critical self-examination, and a lack of democratic tradition, continues to radicalize the Middle East. The author further seeks to explain how Islamic culture holds a different world view from those in the west and that we need to understand this world view if we are to confront the threat of terrorism.

Readers should be aware that this text is not an introduction. Lewis does not write for laymen. Assuming a certain baseline of knowledge, he tends to gloss over arguments or offer evidence in a sort of short hand, expecting the educated reader to understand references and names. In a world where most non-fiction is over written, Lewis is a throw back to an earlier age, writing thin volumes that are light on detail and heavy on argument. This does not detract from the quality of his work, but it does limit what a reader without a firm grasp of the fundamentals can learn from reading it. Still, there is much to be learned from this work, in particular his examination of the Wahabbi sect being exported by Saudi Arabia and the traditional self understanding of Islam as an 'ascendant' religion that would spread over the whole world.

Readers should also look to Lewis's earlier work, in particular 'the Middle East: A Brief History' and 'Islam and the West,' both essential reading for someone whishing to understand the modern Middle East.

This is the second book the distinguished Bernard Lewis has put out since 9-11. In the first -- "What Went Wrong" -- he sought to explain the failure of Middle Eastern societies to modernize and, as a result, how those societies responded towards the West, which had successfully modernized. While there is some overlap with the themes in the first book, in "The Crisis of Islam" Lewis focuses his attention on the dominant religion of the Middle East, and seeks to explain how history influences relevant modern themes in Islam.

After defining the religion, and showing how much of the West's current problems with terrorism in the Middle East is a result of an ongoing war among competing visions in Islam, Lewis then gives a brief history of the term "jihad" and how the Islamic world has perceived the West (America, in particular). He also describes the roots of so-called Islamic "fundamentalism", explaining the success of Saudi Arabia's promotion of the Wahhabi sect, and its unfortunate consequences for Islam as a whole.

Lewis also writes a wonderful essay on the double standards in the West - particularly in the U.S. government -- towards Muslim countries, arguing that it feeds into Arab and Muslim resentment towards the United States. That the champion of freedom and liberty has allied itself with many of the region's dictators and autocrats who persecute them strikes some in the Middle East as the deepest and most unforgivable hypocrisy.

This is a short book, and can be read in an evening, but it has a surprising comprehensiveness in its 164 pages. Lewis's scholarship has been condensed down to a fine sharp point. He has a talent for focusing on what's important and ignoring the rest. The only caveat I give for my recommendation is that little in this book is new for those who have read much of Lewis' work.